The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-03-30

Harding, the Convicted Murderer OF
the Glendale Stage Driver,
Meets HIS Fate Like o
Brave Man.
Protesting His Innocence to the last
lie Declares That changing
Will Not Make Him
Murderer"

Will Not Make Him a
Murderer
The following graphic account of the
hanging f Thomas II. Harding at Dillon
on Friday,t he 25th, is from long
account of the affair taken from the In.
dependent:
On the night of the 22d oflast May the
little "jerky" coach left Melrose fol
Glendale, conveying several passengers
and Thomas s. Merchant, the we'll
known travelling man, occupied the out.
side seat with the driver, George Fergu.
son. The 25th being payday for the
Hecla company at Glendale, it is sup.
posed that the robber concluded the
money was on the coach on that memor-
able night, and when about half way
between the two points the road agent
appeared from behind his concealment
in clump of willows,
ARMED WITH SHOT GUN.
He gave the order to halt, and not
being obeyed In q SECOND the heavily
loaded gun sent five of it's deadly buck.
shot crashing into the brain of poor
Ferguson, who fell forward into the
"boot" and would have rolled off under
the horse had not Mr.. Merchant caught
him and held him until N, Ladeaux, one
of the inside passengers, climbed outside
to his relief and in this manner they
reached Glendale, the wounded man
dying few minutes after the town was
reached.
1t was in the gray twilight of the even
ing, but Mr.. Merchant was positive he
would know the assassin should he see
him again. Immediately after the firing
of the shot. seeing that the stage was be-
yond his grasD, the robber crossed the
creek, Joined his confederate and both
of them mounted their horses and fled
toward the south. 1elegrams we're sent
out in every direction and men were
posted to watch the roads. About
o'clock in the morning two deputy
sherifis who were stationed in the lane
about mile or two from Dillon halted
two men who were riding along and
were answered with pistol shots. They
returned the fire, but the ,Aen they were
after escaped. They turned back to the
west and took to the hits, being tracked
from place to place until Harding was
finally arrested in Butte. When several
prisoners were brought before Mr.. Mer.
chant. true to his prediction, he at once
pointed out Harding, who was then
brought to Dillon and has since been
here in Jail.
TRIAL AND CONVICTION,
Last October the grand jury returned
an indictment against Harding for muir
der in the first uegree, and in November
he was tried aud convicted, being senten-
ced to be hanged on the 22nd of Decem-
ber. Efforts to save the condemned
man were futile, and the supreme court
on Monday refused to interfere in his
behalf.
THE PRISONERS ACTIONS.
From the day of his arrest Harding
has stsadfastly maintained his innocence
and denied any connection whatever
with the tragedy. He has had very lit.
tie to say to anyone, and although the
chain of evidence-principally circum-
stantial, was woven very tightly around
him, he still denied his guilt. Michael
c. Kennedy, of Centerville. now lies in
the Dillon Jail, charged with being the
accessory of Harding, the principal testi.
mony being that of the notorious Ida
Bates, a former mistress of Kennedy's
and beer-jerker at Butte.
Harding has always been very hopeful,
and when reports were received on Fri
day last to the effect that the United
States supreme court would grant a
further stay, and probably give him a
new trial, he seemed quite cheerful.
But such was not the case, and on Mon.
day the news came that the highest
tribunal in the land had declined to do
anything for him, it became evident
that his hours on earth were numbered,
PREPARING FOR THE EXECUTION.
Sheriff Jones informed him Of the re-
suit yesterday morning, and he showed
very little emotion, turning as pale as
his already marble cheeks could turn
and said nothing. The death watch was
placed upon him, as soon as he was told
and all precautions were taken to pre-.
vent him from committing suicide.
About 7:SO o'clock Harding ate hearty
breakfast, consisting of four eggs, a
good-sized beefsteak, some corn, toast j.,
etc, and bore up wonderfully well. At
O'Clock he was seen by a reporter. and
then for the fist time showed any signs
OF weakness. The condemned man
said his age was 2S years. and that he
was raised in Cohoes. New York, at
which place he has mother, stepfather.
sisters and brothers. He stated that
his past life had been good and clear,
and that no person could say anything
in regard to his past life, but that he had
been raised good, and by hanging him
they
WOULD NOT MAKE MURDERER
out of him.
"fcu say that you are innocent of the
crime of which you are onvicted?" asked
the reporter. 81 do" was the emphatic
reply. He said he was resigned to his
fate and not afraid to die. The reporter
remarked that it must be a hard blow on
his aged mother, at which he gave one
gasp, as if almost instantly choked up.
and tender chord having been struck
in his heart, the tears began to come and
he wept bitterly. The reporter told him
not to break down, and at this point
Rev. Father Dolls placed his hand upon
Harding's shoulder and gave him words
of comfort.
At 2:23 o'clock sheriff Jones came out
of the front door of the Jail building and
was followed by Father Dolls, leading the
condemned man. They went direct to
the scatfold, and the sheriff Immediately
informed the prisoner of